List of Italian Americans
This is a list of notable Italian Americans. Anarchists *Luigi Galleani (1861–1931) *Arturo Giovannitti (1884–1959) - union leader and poet *Nicola Sacco (1891-1927) * Bartolomeo Vanzetti (1888–1927) *Carlo Tresca (1879–1943) Architects *Vito Acconci *Pietro Belluschi *Giorgio Cavaglieri *Mario J. Ciampi *Neil Denari *Romaldo Giurgola *Michael Manfredi *Rosaria Piomelli * George Ranalli *Mario Salvadori *Lawrence Scarpa *Ricardo Scofidio *Paolo Soleri *Robert Venturi Artists Comic artists, cartoonists, illustrators *Brian Azzarello - comic book writer *Joseph Barbera (1911–2006) - animator, cartoon artist, storyboard artist, director, producer, and co-founder, together with William Hanna, of Hanna-Barbera *Timothy D. Bellavia (born 1971) - children's illustrator, author and founder of the We Are All The Same Inside - Sage doll-making workshop *Ivan Brunetti (born 1967) - cartoonist and comics author *John Buscema (1927–2002) - comic-book artist and one of the mainstays of Marvel Comics during its 1960s and 1970s ascendancy into an industry leader and its subsequent expansion to a major pop culture conglomerate *Greg Capullo (born 1962) - comic book artist *Anthony Flamini (born 1978) comic book writer *Frank Frazetta (1928–2010) - one of the world's most influential fantasy and science fiction artists *Bill Gallo (born 1922) - cartoonist and newspaperman *Dick Giordano (born 1932) - comic book artist and editor *Frank Giacoia (1925–1989) - comic book artist *Carmine Infantino (born 1925) - comic book artist and editor who was a major force in the Silver Age of Comic Books *Walter Lantz (1900–1994) - cartoonist and animator, founded the Walter Lantz Studio, created Woody Woodpecker *Bob Montana (1920–1975) - comic strip artist who created the characters that launched Archie comics *Joe Orlando (1927–1998) - illustrator, writer, editor and cartoonist *Jimmy Palmiotti - writer and artist of various comics, games and film *Leo Politi (1908–1996) - artist and author who wrote and illustrated some 20 children's books *John Romita, Sr. (born 1930) - comic book artist known for his work on Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man *Don Rosa (born 1951) - comic book artist for Disney Comics *Eric Stefani (born 1967) - pop musician, former Simpsons animator, and Grammy-nominated composer and writer *Jim Valentino (born 1952) - writer, penciler and editor of comic books *Gerard Way (born 1977) - comic book writer; frontman of the American rock band My Chemical Romance Digital artists and illustrators *Louise Fili (born 1951) - graphic designer, 2014 American Institute of Graphic Arts Medalist *Fred Marcellino (1939–2001) - illustrator Painters *Ettore DeGrazia *Robert De Niro, Sr. (1922–1993) - abstract expressionist, father of actor Robert De Niro, Jr. *Robert Longo *Tony Sisti (1901–1983) - painter and boxer *Frank Stella (born 1936) - painter and printmaker *Joseph Stella (1877–1946) - futurist painter known for his depictions of industrial America Photographers *Lynsey Addario (1973-) - photojournalist known for her coverage of women in war-torn countries. *Severo Antonelli (1907–1995) - legendary figure in Philadelphia Italian American history and the subject of one of the largest ever one-man shows at the Smithsonian Institution *Franco A. "Frank" Barsotti (1937–2012) photographer and professor emeritus from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago *Justin Guariglia (1974–) - photographer and contributing editor to National Geographic Traveler, and a regular contributor to Smithsonian Magazine *Luis Marden (1913–2003) - photographer, explorer, writer, filmmaker, diver, navigator, and linguist who worked for National Geographic magazine *Nick Saglimbeni - photographer 3D *Francesco Scavullo (1921–2004) - fashion photographer known for his work on the covers of Cosmopolitan magazine and his celebrity portraits *Mario Sorrenti (born 1971) - fashion photographer Sculptors *Vincent Cavallaro *Jasper D'Ambrosi *John DeAndrea *Joe De Santis *Arturo Di Modica *Mark Di Suvero *Virginio Ferrari *Corrado Parducci *Piccirilli Brothers *Italo Scanga - neo-Dadaist Business Criminals Entertainers Actors Food *Joe Bastianich - chef *Lidia Bastianich - chef * Buddy Valastro - chef *Hector Boyardee - famous for his Chef Boyardee brand of food products *Caesar Cardini - creator of the Caesar salad *Michael Chiarello - American celebrity chef specializing in Italian-influenced California cuisine *Giada De Laurentiis - host of the Food Network program Everyday Italian *Gina Keatley - chef and television personality; influenced charities in New York City * Sirio Maccioni- restaurateur and author *Rachael Ray - Food Network- chef and Emmy-winning television personality *Nick Stellino - chef and television personality * Carlo Vaccarezza- restaurateur Inventors *Anthony Adducci (1937–2006) - pioneer of the medical device industry in Minnesota; best known for founding Guidant Corp. precursor Cardiac Pacemakers, inc., now part of Boston Scientific, the company that manufactured the world's first lithium battery-powered artificial pacemaker *Giuseppe Mario Bellanca *Enea Bossi *Lorenzo Del Riccio-Inventor of fotofinish camera *Daniel DiLorenzo *Gerard J. Foschini *Domingo Ghirardelli *The Jacuzzi family - developed the deep well water pump that led to the famous whirlpool bath *Antonio Meucci (born 1808) - credited by the Congress of the United States with the invention of the telephone *Lorenzo Ponza- inventor of the modern baseball pitching machine *Francis Rogallo - engineer at NASA, designed the Rogallo wing, which found its greatest success in hang gliders and kites *Andrew Toti *Dr. Andrew Viterbi (born 1935) - billionaire, cofounder of Qualcomm, inventor of the Viterbi algorithm *Frank Zamboni- inventor of the modern ice resurfacer Jurists *Samuel Alito - Supreme Court Associate Justice *Vincent Bugliosi - successfully prosecuted Charles Manson; an expert on the John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy assassinations *Ann Marie Calabria - judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals *Frank Caprio - Chief Judge of the Providence Municipal Court *William J. Castagna - judge on the United States District Court *Richard J. Daronco - assassinated judge of the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York *Victoria A. Graffeo - Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals *Jaynee LaVecchia - Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey * Frank Pallone- lawyer *Antonin Scalia - Supreme Court Associate Justice *John Sirica - judge most famous for presiding over the Watergate hearings Law enforcement figures *Joseph Arpaio (born 1932 in Springfield, Massachusetts) - law enforcement officer, most notably as the Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona; the child of immigrants from Lacedonia * Michael D'Andrea- Officer of the Central Intelligence Agency, appointed to head the Agency's Iran Mission Center * Pete DeFazio * Gil Garcetti (born 1941)- Los Angeles County's 40th district attorney *Joseph D. Pistone - undercover FBI agent who went undercover as Donnie Brasco and infiltrated the Bonanno crime family. *Louis Freeh (born 1950 in Jersey City, New Jersey) - Director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 1993 to 2001 *Rudolph Giuliani - early career was a US attorney in S.D.N.Y., prosecuting high-profile cases, including Cosa Nostra cases * Dan Mitrione- Italian-born American police officer, FBI agent, and U. S. government advisor for the CIA in Latin America. *Frank Rizzo *Frank Serpico *Joe Petrosino - NYCPD lieutenant in charge of the Italian Squad, an elite corps of Italian-American detectives formed to fight the Mafia *Charles Joseph Bonaparte - member of Theodore Roosevelt's Cabinet and founder of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Journalism (print and multimedia) *Melissa Anelli - resident of Staten Island, journalist at Staten Island Advance and webmaster of The Leaky Cauldron *Maria Bartiromo - financial reporter *Joe Benigno - WFAN sports radio personality *David Brancaccio - journalist *Harry Caray (1914–1998) - born Harry Christopher Carabina, sports broadcaster, did play-by-play for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, and most famously the Chicago Cubs; Cubs win! Cubs win! *Matt Casamassina - video game journalist working for IGN *Danny Casolaro - freelance journalist *Igor Cassini - journalist *Chris Cimino - co-host of Today in New York on WNBC, the NBC affiliate in New York City *Kellyanne Conway - president and CEO of The Polling Company Inc./Woman Trend, and has been a political commentator on CNN, Fox News, Fox Business, and more. *Anthony Cumia - "Anthony" of the Opie and Anthony show *Rick Francona - NBC military analyst *Michael Gargiulo - co-host of Today in New York on WNBC, the NBC affiliate in New York City *Megyn Kelly - Fox News Channel political commentator and former corporate defense attorney *Kyle Kulinski - Progressive commentator and host of the YouTube and radio show Secular Talk. *Charlotte Laws - author, columnist, political commentator, former politician, animal rights advocate, anti-revenge porn activist (known as the "Erin Brockovich of revenge porn"). * Steve Lopez - journalist; a columnist for the Los Angeles Times since 2001; the son of Spanish and Italian immigrants *Ann Nocenti - journalist, writer and editor, known for her work on comic books and magazines *Dana Perino - political commentator and author who served as the 26th White House Press Secretary, serving under President George W. Bush *Generoso Pope Jr. (1927–1988) - founder of the National Enquirer *Tony Rizzo - sports anchor with WJW-TV, the Fox affiliate in Cleveland *Allison Rosati - WMAQ-TV nightly anchor – maternal Italian ancestry *Lauren Scala - co-host of Today in New York on WNBC, the NBC affiliate in New York City *Elaine Sciolino - Paris bureau chief of The New York Times *Al Giordano - political commentator, and former anti-nuclear and environmental activist. Military *Sgt. John Basilone - USMC, Medal of Honor recipient of World War II *Major John Belli - the Quartermaster General of the U.S. Army from 1792 to 1794 *Corporal Anthony Casamento - USMC, Medal of Honor recipient of World War II *Lieutenant General Peter W. Chiarelli * Lieutenant General Joseph P. DiSalvo, Military Deputy Commander of United States Southern Command *Col. Luigi Palma di Cesnola - Civil War Union Cavalry officer, and Medal of Honor recipient. *Lt Col Rick Francona - U S Air Force officer *Major Don Gentile (Dominic Salvatore Gentile) (1920–1951) - U S Air Force officer *Edmund P. Giambastiani - Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff *Giovanni Martini - trumeter; only member of Custer's army to leave the site of the Battle of the Little Big Horn alive *General Raymond T. Odierno - incumbent Chief of Staff of the United States Army *Peter Pace - USMC, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff *Antonio Pierro - lived to be one of the oldest surviving veterans of World War I *Joseph L. Romano * Walter Schirra- naval officer and aviator, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, and one of the original seven astronauts chosen for Project Mercury. *Maj. Gen. Francis D. Vavala - Adjutant General, Delaware Army National Guard *Humbert Roque Versace - United States Army officer and POW in Vietnam *Gen. Anthony Zinni - USMC, former Commander in Chief of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Politicians Diplomats *Richard F. Celeste - U.S. Ambassador to India, 1997–2001 *Paul Cellucci - U.S. Ambassador to Canada, 2001–2005 *Peter Cianchette - U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica, 2008– *Luigi R. Einaudi - acting Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) *Thomas M. Foglietta - U.S. Ambassador to Italy, 1997–2001 *John J. Maresca - U.S. Ambassador, United States Delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, 1992–1994 *Joseph A. Mussomeli - U.S. Ambassador to The Philippines; Ambassador to Cambodia, 2005–2008; *Francis J. Ricciardone, Jr. - U.S. Ambassador to The Philippines and Republic of Palau, 2002–2005; Ambassador to Egypt, 2005–2008; and Deputy Ambassador to Afghanistan, 2008– *Peter F. Secchia - U.S. Ambassador to Italy, 1989–1993 *Ronald P. Spogli - U.S. Ambassador to Italy and first U.S. Ambassador to San Marino, 2005–2009 Governors and former governors *John Baldacci - former governor of Maine (2003–2011) *Donald Carcieri - former governor of Rhode Island (2003–2011) *Dick Celeste - former governor of Ohio (1983–1991) *Argeo Paul Cellucci - former governor of Massachusetts (1997–2001) *Chris Christie - former governor of New Jersey (2010-2018) *Andrew Cuomo - governor of New York (2010–present) *Mario Cuomo - former governor of New York (1983–1994) *Edward D. DiPrete - former governor of Rhode Island (1985–1991) *Michael DiSalle - former governor of Ohio (1959–1963) *James Florio - former governor of New Jersey (1990–1994) *Foster Furcolo - former governor of Massachusetts (1957–1961) *Ella T. Grasso - former governor of Connecticut (1975–1980); first woman to be elected governor without following a husband *Andrew H. Longino - former governor of Mississippi (1900–1904) *Janet Napolitano - former governor of Arizona (2003–2009) *John Orlando Pastore - former governor of Rhode Island *William Paca - signer of the American Declaration of Independence, member of the Continental Congress, governor of Maryland, Federal District Judge *George Pataki - former governor of New York (1995–2006) *Albert Rosellini - former governor of Washington State (1957 - 1965) *Al Smith - former governor of New York (1919–1921; 1923–1929) *John A. Volpe - former governor of Massachusetts (1961–1963; 1965–1969) *Gina Raimondo - governor of Rhode Island Mayors and former mayors *Bill de Blasio (b. 1961) - mayor of New York City (2014-present). *Hugh Addonizio (1914–1981) - mayor of Newark, New Jersey, 1962–1970 *Joseph Alioto (1916–1998) - mayor of San Francisco, 1968–1976 *Thomas L. J. D'Alesandro, Jr. (1903–1987) - mayor of Baltimore, Maryland, 1947–1959; prior to being mayor, he was a representative from Maryland's 3rd congressional district (1939–47); father of U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi * Luigi Boria (b. 1958)– mayor of Doral, Florida, (2012-2016). He was born in Caracas, Venezuela. *Richard Caliguiri (1931–1988) - mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1978–1988 *Anthony Celebrezze (1910–1998) - mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, 1953–1962 *Vincent Cianci, Jr (b. 1941) - mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, 1975–1984 and 1991–2002 *David Cicilline (b. 1961) - mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, 2003-; Jewish mother *John DeStefano, Jr. (b. 1955) - mayor of New Haven, Connecticut, since 1993 *Frank Fasi (b. 1920) - Mayor of Honolulu, Hawaii, 1969–1981 and 1984–1994 *Eric Garcetti (b. 1971) - mayor of Los Angeles, California, since 2013. * Philip Giordano (b. 1963) – mayor of Waterbury, Connecticut, 1995–2001 when was arrested for municipal corruption and convicted of sex offender. He was born in Caracas, Venezuela. *Rudolph Giuliani (b. 1944) - Mayor of New York, 1994–2001 *Dick A. Greco (b. 1933) - mayor of Tampa, Florida, 1967–1974 and 1995–2003 *Pam Iorio (b. 1959) - Mayor of Tampa, Florida, since 2003 *Vincent R. Impellitteri (1900–1987) - Mayor of New York, 1950–1953 *Fiorello La Guardia (1882–1947) - Mayor of New York, 1934–1945; both parents Italian-born; father lapsed Catholic; mother Jewish *Anthony M. Masiello (b. 1947) - mayor of Buffalo, New York, 1994–2005 *Thomas Menino (1942–2014) - Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, 1993–2014 *Robert Maestri (1899–1974) - mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, 1936–1946 *George Moscone (1929–1978) - mayor of San Francisco, 1976–1978 *Frank Rizzo (1920–1991) - mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1972–1980 *Angelo Rossi (1878–1948) - mayor of San Francisco, 1931–1944 *Victor Schiro (1904–1992) - mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, 1961–1970 *Frank A. Sedita (1907–1975) - mayor of Buffalo, New York 1958–1961, 1966–1973 * Aldo Tatangelo (1913 – 2008)- mayor of Laredo, Texas, 1978–1990 Prelates *Msgr. Geno Baroni (1930–1984) - the Catholic Coordinator for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom *Francis X. DiLorenzo (born 1942) - the twelfth bishop of the Diocese of Richmond in Virginia *John Clement Favalora - Archbishop of the Latin Rite Archdiocese of Miami *Fr. Stan Fortuna - Roman Catholic priest *James Groppi - Roman Catholic priest and noted civil rights activist *Francis Mugavero - first Italian-American Bishop of Brooklyn, 1968–1990 *Anthony M. Pilla - bishop of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese, 1979–2006 *Joseph Rosati - the first Bishop of the Diocese of Saint Louis Cardinals *Joseph Louis Bernardin (1928-1996), Archbishop of Cincinnati, Archbishop of Chicago *Anthony Joseph Bevilacqua (1923–2012), served as Bishop of Pittsburgh and Archbishop of Philadelphia *Daniel Nicholas DiNardo (born 1949), Archbishop of Galveston-Houston *Justin Francis Rigali (born 1935), Archbishop of Philadelphia Scientists * Aristides Agramonte- bacteriologist *Eugenio Calabi - mathematician *Charles DeLisi *Renato Dulbecco - Nobel prize winner for medicine. *Federico Faggin - widely known for designing the first commercial microprocessor. *Robert Fano (born 1917) - computer scientist *Ugo Fano (1912–2001) - physicist *Anthony Fauci - immunologist contributing to research in the areas of AIDS and other immunodeficiencies *Enrico Fermi (1901–1954) - physicist. Nobel Prize 1938 *Robert Gallo- virologist *Albert Ghiorso - nuclear scientist who helped discover several chemical elements on the periodic table *Riccardo Giacconi *Louis Ignarro *Robert Lanza *Paul J. Lioy - exposure science *Mariangela Lisanti - theoretical physicist *Salvador Luria * Mike Massimino - astronaut *Fulvio Melia - physicist, astrophysicist, and author *Antonio Meucci - telephone inventor *Rita Levi-Montalcini *Franco Modigliani *Lisa Marie Nowak - born Lisa Marie Caputo; astronaut *William Daniel Phillips * Sam Potolicchio - psychologist specializing in government *Bruno Rossi *Gian-Carlo Rota *Jack Sarfatti *Piero Scaruffi (born 1955) - cognitive scientist *Walter Schirra - astronaut *Emilio Segrè - Nobel Prize-winning physicist and academic *Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza (born 1922) - geneticist *Giuliana Tesoro (1921–2002) - organic chemist *Andrew Viterbi *Philip Zimbardo Academics *Mario Capecchi - University of Utah *John D. Caputo *James Carafano *Frank A. Cipriani *Thomas A. DeFanti *John J. DeGioia - President of Georgetown University *Frank J. Fabozzi *A. Bartlett Giamatti (1938–1989) - President of Yale University, later Major League Baseball commissioner; Italian father *Robert Gallucci - Dean of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University *Lino Graglia - University of Texas in Austin *Paul J. Lioy - University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School *Robert Magliola - academic specialist in hermeneutics, philosophy, and religious studies *Mariana Mazzucato *Silvio Micali - Professor of Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, distinguished for his work on cryptography *Fulvio Melia - Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Arizona in Tucson *Franco Modigliani - MIT economics professor and winner of the 1985 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics *L. Jay Oliva - former President of New York University (NYU) and author of many books on European and Russian history *Camille Paglia - professor at humanities at the University of the Arts *P. M. Pasinetti - professor of comparative literature and Italian at UCLA *Walter Piston - professor of Music at Harvard University 1926-1960. Pulitzer Prize winner 1948 and 1961 Sports Writers *Paul Attanasio, screenwriter *Ken Auletta - writer/journalist and media critic for The New Yorker *David Baldacci (1960–) - best-selling novelist; a distant cousin of John Baldacci, former governor of Maine *Andrew Berardini - art critic and fiction writer *Greg Berlanti - television writer and producer *Giannina Braschi - poet and novelist *Leo Buscaglia (1924–1998) - author and motivational speaker *Duane Capizzi - screenwriter *Lorenzo Carcaterra - novelist and screenwriter *Christopher Carosa - (born 1960) author, journalist, and investment adviser *John Ciardi - poet and etymologist *Diablo Cody - screenwriter, producer, author, journalist, memoirist, stripper and exotic dancer *Angelo F. Coniglio - civil engineer, genealogist and author *Gregory Corso - poet *John Corvino - philosopher *Lorenzo Da Ponte - poet, writer, librettist *William L. DeAndrea - mystery writer *Keith R. A. DeCandido *Don DeLillo (1936–) - author *Guy Anthony De Marco - author *Tomie dePaola - author *Louise DeSalvo - writer, editor, professor, and lecturer *Pietro Di Donato - writer *John Fante - novelist and screenwriter *Lawrence Ferlinghetti - poet, essayist and painter *David Franzoni - screenwriter of Gladiator and King Arthur *John Fusco - novelist (Paradise Salvage) and screenwriter of Young Guns, Hidalgo, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron *Paul Gallico - Italian father *Daniela Gioseffi (1941– ) - poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, performer, social justice activist *Arturo Giovannitti - poet, political activist *Barbara Grizzuti Harrison (1934–2002) - writer *Evan Hunter - aka Ed MacBain, born Salvatore Lombino *Philip Lamantia *Teresa de Lauretis *Luis Marden - born Annibale Luis Paragallo, writer for National Geographic *Fulvio Melia - author of several popular science books, including The Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy *Charles Messina - writer/director of the play Mercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock God, the film Merging, and co-author the book My Father, My Don *Diana Ossana - Academy Award-winning screenwriter *Camille Paglia - post-feminist literary and cultural critic *Christopher Paolini *Michael Parenti *P.M. Pasinetti - novelist, playwright, journalist, professor *Mario Pei *Tom Perrotta - novelist and screenwriter best known for the novels Election (1998) and Little Children (2004) Rich, Motoko. "A Writer's Search for the Sex in Abstinence", The New York Times, 2007-10-14. Retrieved on 2007-10-20. Shanahan, Mark. "Adaptation: Tom Perrotta is growing accustomed to seeing his books on the big screen", The Boston Globe, 2006-10-18. Retrieved on 2007-07-04. *Joseph D. Pistone *Diane di Prima - poet of the Beat generation *Mario Puzo (1920–1999) - writer/screenwriter and best-selling author of ''The Godfather'' *Terry Rossio - screenwriter *Shane Salerno - screenwriter *R.A. Salvatore (born 1959) - born Robert Anthony Salvatore, science fiction and fantasy author, best known for his Forgotten Realms and Star Wars novels *Leslie Scalapino - poet *Piero Scaruffi - poet, historian, scientist *Dom (Domenico) Serafini - TV trade magazine editor *Michelangelo Signorile - journalist, columnist, talk radio host and gay activist *Gay Talese *Adriana Trigiani *Jessica Valenti - blogger and feminist writer *Mark Valenti - screenwriter *Tom Verducci - sportswriter Italian Americans who were first in their field of achievement *Giuseppe Mario Bellanca - designer of the first monoplane in the United States with an enclosed cabin *Frank Borzage - first person to win the Academy Award for Directing, for Seventh Heaven (1927) *Enea Bossi - designer of the first stainless steel aircraft and designer of the disputed first fully human-powered plane *Anthony Celebrezze (1910–1998) - the first non-native to be appointed to the U.S. Cabinet *Geraldine Ferraro (1935–2011) - the first woman in U.S. history to be nominated for the vice presidency of the United States from a major political party *Ella T. Grasso (1919–1981) - born Ella Rose Tambussi Grasso, first woman to be elected governor of a U.S. state without succeeding her husband *Giuseppina Morlacchi (1846–1886) - ballerina and dancer, introduced the can-can to the American stage *Nancy Pelosi - the first woman in U.S. history to hold the office of Speaker of the United States House of Representatives *Dennis Tito - the world's first space tourist *Joe Valachi (1904–1971) - the first member of the Mafia to testify to the Senate about organized crime Italian Americans not otherwise categorized *Marella Agnelli - furniture designer *Luigi Antonini - labor leader *Chris Avellone - video game designer *Mike Bongiorno - TV personality *Alyssa Campanella - fashion blogger, model, and beauty pageant titleholder *Oleg Cassini - Russian-Italian-American fashion designer *Andrew Cunanan - spree killer; mother was Italian-American * Gene de Polito - President of the Association for Postal Commerce *Emily DiDonato – American model of Italian, Irish, and Native American ancestry *Ralph DiGia - pacifist and social justice activist *Tabitha D'umo - choreographer and creative director *Angelo Dundee - trainer of several boxing champions *Elizabeth Edwards - born Anania, wife of John Edwards, a former U.S. Senator from North Carolina *Vanessa Hessler - American model and actress *Nick LaRocca - musician, composer *Stacy London - stylist and fashion consultant *Bruno Pauletto - physiologist, shot putter, businessman, coach, author *Mike Pompeo - politician, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency *Charles Ponzi (1882–1949) - one of the greatest swindlers in American history; inventor of the Ponzi scheme *Carrie Prejean - American model, author, former Miss California USA 2009 and Miss USA 2009 first runner-up *Angela Carlozzi Rossi, executive secretary of the Italian Welfare League *John Scarne - born Orlando Carmelo Scarnecchia, gambling expert and sleight-of-hand card performer *Mary Schiavo - former Inspector General of the United States Department of Transportation *Michael Schiavo - ex-husband of Terri Schiavo, the woman whose comatose state and subsequent court case garnered much media attention *Milton Sirotta - at age nine coined the term googol *Carmela Teoli - 14-year-old mill worker whose Congressional testimony helped end the 1912 Lawrence textile strike *Jack Valenti - of Sicilian heritage, president of the Motion Picture Association of America from 1966 to 2007 *Michael Viscardi - mathematician *Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann - fashion model, and socialite See also *List of Sicilian Americans *List of Italian Britons *List of Italian-American television characters *List of Italian-American women writers References * Category:Lists of American people of Italian descent Americans Italian Italian